Hot Night, Cold Shower
"Hot Night, Cold Shower" is a mini-story in the EMPATH: The Luckiest Smurf series. Story It was a hot summer night in the Smurf Village. It was so hot that Polaris Psyche couldn't get any sleep, as he was sweating so much he had to strip down to his loincloth in order to get any comfort. Finally, in the middle of the night, he had to get up out of his bed and put on a bathrobe so he could walk around the village and hope that he would be able to fall asleep. He sensed that his friend Empath Smurf was not in his bedroom, so he must also not have been able to sleep that night. Polaris stepped out of Empath's house and looked up at the night sky. He could only wish that there would be rain or at least a cool wind to make things more bearable during the hot days of summer. He started to walk around and sensed that his fellow Smurfs were also dealing with the same hot temperature in their own ways. Just then, Polaris walked into a Smurf patrolling the village as a night watchman. "Halt! Who smurfs here?" the Smurf asked. "It is only Polaris Psyche, who is simply talking a walk around the village in order to be able to return to his sleep," Polaris answered. "If you're looking for Empath, he just left the village some time ago to smurf over to the waterfalls in the forest," the Smurf reported. "Then this one will head in that direction to find him," Polaris said. "This one appreciates your report." "Just be careful smurfing out into the forest at night, Polaris," the Smurf warned. Polaris nodded and so headed out into the forest in the direction of the waterfalls. He wondered why Empath would be so daring as to go off into the forest at night just to be at that location. He soon found Empath at the waterfalls, who was resting right under the falls itself. Polaris sensed how comfortable Empath felt soaking himself with a constant shower of water in his sleep. Suddenly Empath awakened. "Salutations, fellow Polaris," he said quietly as he swam toward the shore to greet his friend. "Salutations, fellow Empath," Polaris said. "This one came out here because this one was curious as to what you were doing at the waterfalls." "Seems like this smurf isn't the only one who isn't able to sleep," Empath said. "Well, this looked like the ideal place for this smurf to cool off in and also to get away from the noise in the village, so this is where this smurf went." "That does explain the lack of your presence in the village, Empath," Polaris said. "This smurf senses that you might need some 'cooling off', Polaris," Empath said. "Why don't you join this smurf and we can both rest here together?" "This smurf isn't sure that would be a good idea, Empath," Polaris said, sounding uncertain. "Nobody else is going to see you, Polaris," Empath said. "It's just you and this smurf together. We have this place all to ourselves." Polaris sighed. He took off his bathrobe and jumped into the water. "This water is indeed cold and refreshing near the waterfalls, Empath." "It's this smurf's favorite place to take a shower, Polaris," Empath said. "This smurf just loves how the cold water feels to make this smurf feel all nice and refreshed. There's nothing in Psychelia that's quite like it." "Indeed there isn't," Polaris said. They both swam right by the rocks near the waterfalls and let the constant spray of water soak them. "Aaaaaah...just the way this smurf likes it," Empath said, smiling. "You should try standing out in the rain with just your shorts on." "This one is not interested in exposing this one's self to anyone this one is not intimate with, Empath," Polaris said. "That's a shame, Polaris," Empath said. "This smurf finds that so relaxing after a spell of hot weather. Even Smurfette likes to do that wearing her swimsuit." "It's interesting that you Smurfs find so much comfort wearing very little clothes, including Nudie Smurf, whose preference is to go about the village naked," Polaris said. "Some Smurfs tend to get overboard in finding their comfort, Polaris," Empath said. "But that's part of what makes us Smurfs. It is like we were just made to dress very lightly and still behave the way that we do around each other." "And yet this one feels that this one is made to be ashamed of this one's own appearance, Empath," Polaris said. "There's nothing wrong with the way that you look...for the race that you are born as, Polaris," Empath said. "You're not meaning to say that you're...attracted to this one?" Polaris asked, with a hint of distaste. "Of course not, Polaris," Empath said. "There's nothing wrong in taking a little pride in how you look, because that's how beings like Smurfs get to care for themselves, by loving parts of themselves that they find personally attractive." "This one just doesn't see himself in any way as being...attractive," Polaris said. "Some beings might find how you conduct yourself as being attractive, Polaris," Empath said. "You never know what others are really looking for in a mate." "This one will leave that discussion for another time, Empath," Polaris said. "Fair enough, then," Empath said. "We might as well just rest here until morning." Empath and Polaris feel asleep under the waterfall, with Polaris listening to the sound of the rushing waters as it poured over him and his friend. Soon they could hear Smurfette's voice calling, "Yoohoo, Empath! Wake up!" They both awakened and found out that it was morning. Smurfette was standing by the shore wearing a bathrobe. "Salutations, Smurfette," Empath said as he swam to the shore and greeted her, with Polaris following. "You both had a smurfy time sleeping by the waterfalls?" Smurfette asked, noticing Polaris with Empath. "It was...a rather restful night sleeping with Empath, Smurfette," Polaris answered, grabbing his own bathrobe. Smurfette giggled. "Well, you two might as well prepare for your day while I smurf a shower. I'll see the both of you later." "Enjoy your shower, Smurfette," Empath said, smiling as he put on his own bathrobe and headed back to the village with Polaris. "Is it wise for Smurfette to cleanse herself at the waterfalls, given the possibility that someone might see her in a state of undress?" Polaris asked. "She's usually very careful about that, Polaris," Empath said. "Nevertheless, perhaps this might inspire Handy to build a personal place for Smurfs to enjoy their showers without having to go out to the waterfalls," Polaris said. "A personal waterfall," Empath pondered. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea after all." Upon reaching the village, Biscotti and the other Smurfs working with him in the kitchen came running towards the two. "Empath! Thank Smurfness you're awake!" "What's happened to Greedy?" Empath asked. "Greedy's been smurfing the night inside the cold pantry because it was too hot for him to sleep, Empath," Culinary said. "And now he's too cold." "Great Ancestors," Polaris said. "Empath, you should look into this matter immediately." Empath nodded. He followed the kitchen workers into Greedy's kitchen, where they saw the village cook sitting with his feet soaking in hot water while he was wrapped up in a blanket, trying to get warm. "This smurf heard what has happened, Greedy," Empath said. "Why did you go sleep in the cold pantry?" "I...I...I figured that it...it was the...c...c...coldest place where I...I...I could get s...s...some sleep, Em...Em...Empath," Greedy said, who sneezed afterward. "It's too bad that pantry is the only place in the village that's cold enough," Gelato said. "This smurf and Polaris have both spent the night at the waterfalls, though getting there for any Smurf would just be too dangerous," Empath said. "There's got to be some way for a Smurf to enjoy a cool shower without having to smurf down to the waterfalls," Vino said. Empath thought about it for a moment. "This smurf will have a talk with Handy to see what he can come up with for a solution." "We'll get Greedy all warmed up to start smurfing breakfast, Empath," Biscotti said. "Here...this cup of tea should smurf the trick, as Tapper would say," Culinary said, handing Greedy a cup of smurfberry tea. Empath went back to his house and got changed into his normal day clothes. During breakfast, Empath sat with Handy and explained the idea he was thinking of. Handy sat and listened to what Empath had to say. "Hmmm...a personal waterfall that's right within our own village," Handy said, fiddling with the pencil on his ear while he was thinking. "That's not an easy task to smurf, Empath." "All this smurf is wondering if the idea is one you can work on, that's all," Empath said. "Water isn't exactly an easy thing to smurf into the village, Empath, but I'll see what I can smurf up with," Handy said. "This smurf appreciates your answer, Handy," Empath said. "It isn't easy having to go through the hot summer days and nights with nothing besides the waterfalls and the Imaginarium to cool down." Handy sighed. "Don't I know it! Sometimes it gets so hot in my workshop I can barely stand smurfing in there, and smurfing outside on days like this is no better, either." "And besides, Smurfette might want someplace private to take her showers," Empath said. Handy chuckled. "I could get used to how she smurfs her showers now, but hey, I don't mind smurfing that for her." ----- A few days later, Handy had Harmony summon every Smurf to a Smurf house on the southeast end of the village for a special demonstration. "I wonder what kind of invention Handy's going to smurf us this time, Papa Smurf," Smurfette said. "Your guess is as good as mine, Smurfette," Papa Smurf said. Handy appeared wearing only a pair of swim briefs along with his visored hat. "Ladies and gentlesmurfs, I know how hot this village must be in the summertime and that we need a place to cool down and to smurf ourselves in privacy. This is why I present to you your own personal waterfall...the shower!" "A shower?" one of the Smurfs asked. "But how are we supposed to smurf it?" another Smurf asked. "It's simple," Handy answered. "You just smurf on the cord right here, and the water comes smurfing out from this nozzle right above your head. Then when you're done, you just smurf on the cord again, and it smurfs the water off." Handy demonstrated by pulling on the cord in the shower stall, and a torrent of water came pouring from the nozzle, which made the Smurfs look on in awe. He pulled on the cord again, and instantly the water stopped pouring. "Why, that's amazing, Handy Smurf," Papa Smurf said. "Oh, I just love the idea of the shower," Smurfette said. "It's an interesting invention, Handy, but this smurf is concerned about how we're going to properly use it with water being as it is during the hot seasons," Empath said. "I'm working on that idea myself, Empath," Handy said. "We'll need to make sure that we don't smurf out of water when we really need it." "Aye, and just think of having to smurf this into every Smurf's house who wants it," Miner said. "There will be lots of digging to smurf pipes that will smurf everywhere in the village for the water to smurf through from the ground." "Not to mention what to smurf with the water that gets used," Recycler said. "It's a first step toward modernization in the Smurf Village, fellow Smurfs," Handy said. "But to think that Smurfs would no longer have to smurf outside to the waterfalls just to smurf a nice relaxing shower." "Smurfette would truly appreciate the privacy that it would give her, Handy," Empath said. "Hey, Handy, do you mind if I be the first Smurf to try out this shower of yours?" Hefty asked. "I was going to smurf it first, Hefty, but smurf yourself a towel and I'll let you have first smurfs at it," Handy said. "This smurf senses that every Smurf is going to want to try out the shower sooner or later, Handy," Empath said. "And knowing Brainy, he'll want to be the one in control of who gets to use the shower and when and for how long." "Until I can install showers into every Smurf's house, Brainy's welcome to smurf the job," Handy said. Category:Empath the Luckiest Smurf stories Category:Mini-stories Category:VicGeorge2K9's articles